KERALA
Kerala located in the southwestern tip of India, attracts thousands of tourists every year. This beautiful green State of India is becoming one of the leading tourism destinations of the world, not just because of its natural beauty which led National Geographic Magazine to name it as ‘one of the ten Paradises on the Earth’, or ‘one of the 50 must visit places on earth’, but also for the very friendly and educated people of the State. The people of this state have a passion for cleanliness and do not intrude on the foreigners, in such a way as to make them feel that they are the centre of attraction. If help is asked, they go out of their way to be of help. So the attitude of the general public in Kerala makes the tourists feel at home and welcome. This is a great feeling, which combined with the stunning natural beauty of the state, does make the tourist really relaxed and happy that they chose to come here.
Kerala, ‘God’s Own Country’ as it prides itself in calling, is an ideal paradise to unwind – in the glory of the backwaters, hill stations, tranquil beaches, wildlife sanctuaries, festivals, renowned forms of art and Ayurveda Treatments. Kerala food is a bonus, it is simply delicious. Truly, Kerala is an experience of a lifetime.
In this hundred percent literate State, almost all Malayalis (native language ‘Malayalam’), can communicate in English. Comparing with the female counterparts in other Indian States, females in Kerala have equal educational and job opportunities as men.
This is a clean state, you will not find shabbily dressed or smelly people around. It is a habit of Keralites or Malayalis, regardless of their financial or social status, to have a daily bath and change into freshly laundered clothes. There is religious harmony in the state and everybody shares in the celebration of festivals of other religions. Festivals like Onam, Pooram, Idd and Christmas are celebrated and enjoyed by everyone.
Kerala has been having foreign visitors from time immemorial because of its spices, mainly for black pepper. St. Thomas an apostle of Jesus arrived in Kerala in 52AD and converted many to Christianity. So Christianity came to Kerala much before it reached Europe.
The most famous traditional festivals of Kerala are Onam, Visu and Thrissur Pooram. The Thrissur Pooram Festival is very famous for having many tame elephants lined up with golden crowns, with people standing on the elephants with decorative umbrellas and parading with a large crowd of people.
Festival celebrations in Kerala includes showcasing traditional and cultural programmes like Kavadiyattam, Chendamela, Panchavadyam, Pandimelam, Vallamkali boat races and others.
Kerala has three international Airports – Calicut, Cochin and Trivandrum. The Airport in Cochin or Kochi has the best connections and has several flights a day from the Middle Eastern Gulf countries, especially from Dubai. Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is the first privately run Airport in the country, and its cleanliness and efficiency speaks volumes in favour of privitisation. Some of Kerala’s wonders are:
Cochin
Cochin now known as Kochi, nicknamed the ’Queen of the Arabian Sea’, is where most of the visitors to Kerala arrive through the Cochin International Airport (CIAL). Now many Cruise ships stopover in Cochin for their passengers to enjoy Kerala. Cochin has been famous for its spices from ancient times. The important places to visit in Kochi are Fort Cochin, the Jewish Synagogue, the Matancherry Palace, the Chinese fishing nets and St Francis Church the first European Church in India built by the Portuguese. Recently Cochin is carving a name for itself as a stop over for famous cruise vessels like the QE-2 or Queen Mary II and the Princes Cruise Vessels. Kochi was also given the honour as the only landing point for the prestigious round the world ‘Volvo Ocean Race’ in December 2008. These events have prompted the Government of India to build an International Cruise Terminal in Cochin.
Cochin is also famous for its unique way of fishing with huge contraptions, known as Chinese Fishing Nets. There is a dispute as to why these nets are called 'Chinese Nets', some say be a cause it is a design brought by some Chinese visitors to Kerala during the early 16th century, others claim it is so named because the large nets used on these were woven in Kerala using a technique known as 'Cheeni', which in Malayalam also means 'China'. Any way these are a fantastic sight, and in Fort Cochin you can literally get on these nets and help the fisherman to operate the contraption. You can also by freshly caught fish right off the nets and get it cooked right next to the nets where there are several stalls who will grill or cook it the way you want.
Alappuzha
Alappuzha previously known as Alleppey, is surrounded by waterways and canals and is often called the ‘Venice of the East’. Alleppey is the main point of entry into the serene Kerala Backwaters by boarding the famous Kerala Houseboats at the Kerala Boat House in Alleppey or Alappuzha. A sojourn in a traditional Kerala Houseboat is an unforgettable lifetime experience. It just has to be the most relaxing time of your life, simply immersed in the natural wonders around you. The old Kettuvallams or the traditional Kerala cargo vessels of a bygone era, have been converted into Houseboats with comfortable bedrooms and attached European style closets. You get to stay on these boats overnight lazing around in the vast backwaters of Kerala. These houseboats are made by tying together pieces of wood with Coir. Incredible as it may be, not a single nail is used in the making of a Kettuvallam. Jack wood tree planks are joined together with coir rope and then coated with black resin made from boiled cashew nut shells. These are robust boats which have been plying these waters for ages. Now a days new bigger boats are built using the same principles of construction.
Cruises can be tailored to your needs, ranging from short day trips to longer, multi-day excursions. These boats can be up to 80-feet long and have comfortable bedrooms, showers, European closets and kitchen. A very unobtrusive crew will sail your boat around and also do the cooking and cleaning up. They do cook well and serve delicious food from fresh catch of Lobsters or Karimeen, the famous fish of Kerala. During the trip on the Houseboat you can witness the local people going about their daily lives, young kids casting their fishing lines to catch fish for the family dinner and enjoying themselves, men and women rowing home after a day’s work, children playing, people bathing/swimming in the backwaters, women washing clothes and utensils and seeing many more houseboats full of happy and curious tourists.
The Chundan Vallam or Snake boats as they are called, are very long boats, with over a hundred rowers and a singing cheer group at the back to keep the rhythm of the rowers, race down the water ways. The most famous of these races is held in Alappuzha on the second Saturday of August every year. Called the ‘Nehru Trophy Vallam Kali’, it is held on the Punnamada Lake of Alappuzha. This hotly contested snake-boat or Chundan Vallam race is very famous and many tourists time their visit to coincide with these races just to witness this great event. The photo of the right shows Kerala's Vallam Kali Snake boats lined up at the start of the snake boat race.
Kumarakom
Kumarakom is a village in a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake, the largest of the backwaters of Kerala. The famous Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is on one of these Islands and on another is the Taj Garden Retreat hotel, a renovated old historical building which use to belong to a British missionary Alfred George Baker, who stayed back in Kerala. This village gained international fame through the Booker prize winning book ‘The God of Small Things’ by Arundhati Roy. Ayemenem village which is the setting for the book is next to Kumarakom and the ‘History House’ in the novel refers to the building which is now a part of the Taj Hotel here.
Munnar
Munnar is up in the cool mountains, at the meeting point of three rivers (‘Munnar’ in Malayalam means ‘three rivers’) is the hill station of Munnar. It is 135 kilometers (85 miles) from Kochi and is home to a cluster of tea gardens, dams and waterfalls.
Thekkady
Thekkady is one of the most fascinating natural wildlife sanctuaries of the world. Called ‘The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary’, it was declared a National Tiger Reserve in 1978. Tourists from all over the world come here. The splendid lake formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar River allows visitors to cruise along in the safety of their boats while getting very close to herds of wild elephants, Buffalos and other wild animals coming to the shores of the lake to have a drink of water. The lucky ones get to see a Tiger. On the left is a herd of elephants next to the Periyar lake shore.
Kovalam Beach:
Kovalam Beach: This is the world renowned crescent shaped beach resort near Trivandrum. Kovalam with its crystal clear seawater and white palm fringed sandy beaches is a hit with most of the tourists to Kerala. There is an incredible array of seafood restaurants, handicraft shops, Ayurvedic massage centers and Yoga classes. Life on these beaches, unlike Goa, is relaxed and enjoyable for those who prefer a quieter environment. In the late evenings, the beaches come alive with traditional Kathakali dance performances and various other folk arts. It is an unforgettable relaxing experience.
Trivandrum
Trivandrum the Capital of Kerala has many interesting monuments and Museums. Some of it are listed here
Kanakakunnu Palace: used to belong to the kings of Travancore. The Palace, with its unique Kerala architecture is open to the public.
Napier Museum: One of Kerala’s finest collection of Ancient bronze items, carvings, musical instruments and a number of other unique treasures from old Kerala.
Numismatics Museum: This is a unique museum with an amazing collection of ancient coins dating back to the time of Christ.
Observatory: This observatory is one of the oldest in India and is one of Trivandrum's main landmarks.
Shri Padmanabha Swami Temple: right in the centre of Trivandrum has a very unique archtecture.
Sri Chitra Art Gallery: Has a good collection of artifacts. Works of one of India's greatest artists, Raja Ravi Varma, is given prominence.
Trivandrum Zoo: This is one of the Oldest and best-kept zoos in India and is located within the beautiful Botanical Gardens right in the heart of the city. The newly-opened snake house is one of the best in the world. The Botanical Gardens surrounding the Zoo is rich with the native flora of Kerala.